The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-11-19

with roaring brooks anu rivers, inc WnOle coul-
try echoes with the sound of many waters. and
through the impenerrable forests the wind
sighs mournruly The scene, with Mt. Ste
phen S9i0 feet above the track, the loftiest
peak on the line is indcsCrlbaby grand. Al
though il was ten o'clock in the evening be
fore We snrmountcd the divide the sun still
touched 10 topmoSt peaks and shed mid re-
Fiction into the valley below, radiance to
which the fires of the laboring locomotives
added, as the open doors of their furnaces
thrr.y glare Of lurid light into the gloomy
aisles il the woodland. On the front Of the
rearmoSt locomotive a Chnaman had perched
himself at Fs;ld and had accompanied us up
the divide. 40 had looked mp at the impend-
ing cra.s and down at the 'oarlng river, with
some show Of apprehension. Finally, coming
under an imposing pilC of rock, the train stop
ped The C.nnaman regarded the mountain,
and drew long breath. Il call that plenty
good" he said. indicating, by sweep OF his
arm. tie ma jcstic giun HAT we had passed.
Emerson. who delighted in terScncSs and sim
picitv Of speech, would have been pleased
with the remark.
The fall of night prevented us from seeing
more of the magnificent scenery of the Rock
les which is, in fact. chiefly repetition OF
what have already attempted to describe.
do not know that we were displeased at having
a chance to rest our eyes and minds, nor were
we reluctant to think upon what We had seen,
rather than to see more. The fact is that the
stupenduous scenery of the Western Division
Of the Canadian Pacific is as hard to see as 1t
is TO describe. Its effect upon the mind is to
stupcfy. so vast are It's dimensions, so great its
individual features. Months could well be
spent in seeing what we passed over In three
DAYS: indeed. | would advise everyone who
wishes TO staiy to full advantage tile wonder
full country (more Erandly picturesque than
any other on the contincn( that is now opened
by this line, and upon which but few eyes have
as yet rested. to stop at various points and
learn the region gradually The facilities for
doing so are excellent. The company has al
ready erected fine commodiOus hotels at many
places in the mountains-at the Glacier House,
Field. Banff. etc and is preparing to build
others. so that soon the tourist can be as well
lodged and fed and equipped for expeditions
into the virgin country on the line
a. if he were in Lucerne or Chamounix, the
White Mountains or the Adirondacks. One oil
the principal p aces which is sure TO be popu-
lar resorts in the future is Banff, situated up
on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains
and forming the station for the Canadian Ma
tiOHal Park. The place ahounds III medicinal
springs. and in addition to the cottages and
small hostclrieS that now exist. the railway
company is building very large and we'll
appointed hotel, which Will offer every accom-
mediation that can be fonnd in tirst-class houses
square miles in ext mt. embraces every variety
of scenery, and is made accessible by r:lmer-
ous roads and bride paths, which have been
constructed by the Government at large eX-
pense. The rivers and lakes are full of fish,
and the forests of game. The average altitude
Of the valley, which fills mos. of the Park, is
1900 feet, and roads have lCcn built north
ward to Devils Lake. a very deep piece of
water. hcmmed in by PERCEPTIONS cliffs. and
watched over by the Devils Head, an immense
and abrupt peak, so lofty as to be seen far out
upon the eastern plains, towering above ali the
other mountains in its neighborhood.
We passed down the eastern slope of the
Rocky mountains in the night, and, when
morning hawned, We were fer out upon the
plains, the only suggestion of the tremendous
system through which We had passed being the
sight of lofty peak or two resting like clouds
upon the western horizon. The contrast he
tween the mountains and the plain is most
striking-the prairles are undoubtedly mono
tonous after the immense variety of the Sell
kinks and Rockies. but nevertheless have much
that is novel and interesting. Travelling
across the vast stretches of Alberta. Assinibon
and Manitoba is like voyage at seattle
prospect is completely unbroken, and the
silence is profound. The luxuriant soil If the
plains nourishes the most beautiful flow.
ars. At every station We descended to pick
the blooms Of delicate blue, yellow, crimson
'nd salmon tn'S which filled the landscape
with thick masses of color. Prairie dogs and
gophers sat at the edge of their burrows to see
us pass, and served, when we stopped, as
marks for the revolvers of the passengers, who
got much sport thereby, and did not harm the
animals at all. as far as could be observed. In
the distance appeared, from time to time,
herds Of antelope, and plainly marked path
ways, crossing the track and stretching out of
sight to north and south, showed where Buff
falo had retreatCd into still more remote fast
ncsses before the presence of their enemy the
white man. Great herds of cattle were often
met. slowly moving westward. attended by
half-breed drivers and canvaSs-coyercd wagons,
their movements directed by pack of wolfish
looking i Is, which hung Tpon the outskirts;
Of the herd and snapped and snar!ed at Its re-
luctant or delaying members. At Medicine
Ha. we cross the SASKATCHEWAN, a broad and
tnrbid stream. spanncd by a steel bridge 1910